I’d insert a witty title here, but I am mighty tired

June 9, 2008

I am back from sunny Phoenix. And I’ll give it to them- it is “dry heat.” True enough….but it is still mighty damn hot.

Though I didn’t see much of the city itself, the resort (the Arizona Biltmore) is absolutely gorgeous. Built in 1929, it has played host to numerous presidents and notables from all decades. The building is a virtual fortress, albeit an amazing Frank Lloyd Wright-esque fortress. There are vast green spaces of dense grass, dotted with statues of garden sprites and cool fountains. At any given time, families are on the grounds playing Lawn Chess with queens and rooks the size of the children themselves. There is a stunning pool area, complete with waterslides, a bar you can swim right up to (What? I never drank there, I only saw it) and “dive-in” movies that you watch on a giant screen from the comfort of your innertube each Saturday night. I ate my own weight in delicious room service (and that is quite an accomplishment) and enjoyed a relaxing Ayurvedic Dosha massage and a Biltmore Custom facial in their famed spa. In 80 minutes or less, Kim (my massage therapist) had quickly become my favorite name on the planet, as I strategized ways to lure her to Columbia with me. Best. Massage. Ever. So good, in fact, that I fell asleep in the dry sauna afterwards and awoke dangerously close to a heat stroke. She was THAT GOOD. All in all, not a bad way to spend a long weekend. Here’s the view from my room, with Camelback Mountain in the background…

And I met the loveliest people. Spa Girl Party consultants came from Washington state and Florida. California and Tennessee. And a million other places I can’t recall at present, but each of them was a fiery entrepreneur, which just-so-happens to be my favorite species of women on the planet. I enjoyed hors d’oeuvres with Steve and DiAna on Friday night, after which we were joined by the consultants for cocktails. I had already enjoyed red wine with dinner, so I was quite relaxed when they finally arrived. After scads of girl talk, we moved out to the fire pits on the lawn for lovely acoustic music and s’mores. Since marshmallows aren’t vegetarian, I chose to abstain. Which means that the consultants themselves partially neutralized their wine intake with food…I did not. I have made a note to myself not to let that happen again. Be ye not so stupid.

Saturday was filled with a series of seminars for the consultants and I spoke twice that day…once about the history and philosophy of Bella Luccè and again about our new Luxe products. It’s always a pleasure to speak about my company and the consultants were eager to learn and a general blast to be with. Spa Girl Parties was one of my very first accounts and it’s been interesting to watch the growth and development of SGP as I tackle many of the same challenges with my company. After almost five years together, many things have changed at both companies, but our commitment to each other has not- and that’s amazingly refreshing.

Remember that I mentioned my grade school friend Brandi? Here she is…

Now tell me, did that chick make a deal with the devil or what? It’s simply unfair to look that good and I am fairly confident (despite Brandi’s claims of being a good Christian girl) that she has made some type of immoral plea bargain with a supernatural figure. It’s the only way to explain a perfectly wrinkle-less face well into one’s thirties. Regardless, we had a great lunch and speed-talked our way through almost two hours of memory lane. She’s got an adorable husband, gorgeous kids and the energy to homeschool all three of them. You’re starting to believe that “deal with the devil” bit now aren’t you? I hope to see her again very, very soon.

Thanks Phoenix…it’s good to be home!